Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. Excerpt from book: Section 3PAET THE FIEST. FIRST PERIOD. GREEK AND ROMAN PHILOSOPHY. FHOJI THAXES TO JOHN OF DAMASCUS ; i. 6. FHOM GOO TEAKS B.C. TO TUB END OF THE EIGHTH CENTUBT. textit{Progress of the understanding towards knowledge, lut without a clear perception of the principles which should direct it. Brandis, Geschichte der Griechisch-Romischen Philosophic. Creczeb's Symbolik. (Above § 66). Schlosseb's Universal-historische Uebersicht, Part 1. Ottfkied Mulleb, Prolegomena zu einer wisseiichaftliclier My- thologie. 77. The Greeks, who had derived from foreigners the first seeds of civilization, distinguished themselves above all the other nations of antiquity, by their taste for poetry, for the arts, and sciences. The position of their country, their religion, their political constitution, and their love of liberty, contributed to develope, in all its originality and grandeur, the native genius of their country. They thus were betimes matured for philosophy, and engaged in the pursuit of it, even from the earliest date of their political liberty (§ 75). 78. A philosophical spirit having been once awakened among the Greeks, continued to extend its dominion. They devoted their attention to the most important objects of science (theoretically and practically); introduced method into their researches, forming a system of scepticism in opposition to dogmatism, and rarely failing to apply these speculative inquiries to purposes of real life. The Greek thinkers have justly been regarded by succeeding ages as models, as well for their spirit of research and investigation, as for the results to which these have led, both in thetextit{manner and the textit{matter of their philosophical inquiries ; but above all, for a certain character of elegance and urbanity, and a command of philosophical language, which satisfies a...